by Dennis J. GeorgatosFiled under: Chargers, AFC West
Overshadowed by the Chargers' poor start this season has been the phenomenal play of quarterback Philip Rivers.In San Diego's 33-25 win over a very good Tennessee team on Sunday, Rivers was missing three of his top wide receivers because of injuries but still finished with his fifth 300-yard passing game of the season.
The quarterback's numbers overall to this point are getting a little mind-boggling.
Rivers completed 27 of 36 throws for 305 yards on Sunday, with two touchdowns and an interception and now has 2,649 yards passing through the season's first eight games. That's the most in eight games in NFL history, topping the 2,580 yards Chargers Hall of Famer Dan Fouts put up in eight games during the 1982 season.
Coach Norv Turner said Rivers turned the absence of receivers Malcom Floyd (hamstring), Legedu Naanee (hamstring) and Buster Davis (hamstring) into a personal and team challenge to be met head on and overcome.
"I think Philip took great pride in saying, 'Hey, we can make this thing work and we can go out and be productive the way we're always productive on offense,'" Turner said after the Chargers improved to 3-5.
Rivers also surpassed Fouts' team record by throwing for a touchdown in his career-best 21st consecutive game. That's also the longest active streak going in the NFL.
If Rivers finishes the second half at the same passing-yardage pace he's had in the first, he would wind up with 5,298 yards. That would eclipse the season record of 5,084 set by Miami's Dan Marino in 1984.
Rivers said after the game that the only record he's thinking about at this point is the team's win-loss record and in any case said that the numbers he's produced are a direct reflection of the efforts of his teammates.
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